Crayon holder



Nov. 28, 1939. F. G.PRAIN 2,181,202 7 CRAYON HOLDER Filed Nov. 14, 1958 INVENTOR fink G'fiaz'rz 2Z7 7 BY 9 Ge ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 28, 1939 I i UNITED STATES CRAYON HOLDER v I Frank G. Prain, Spokane, Application November l l, 1938, Serial No. 240,247

2 Claims. (Cl. 120-13) I Like characters of reference designate similar The object of this invention is to provide an improved holding device for crayons.

A particular object is to provide a device of this character which is especially adapted for use by lumber sealers whereby a lumber crayon, which is usually of large size, may be secured in one end of the device and a relatively small pencil may be secured in the other end, thus enabling the sealer tomark logs with the lumber crayon and insert recordings in his book with the pencil. l A feature of the invention resides in an improved means for holding the large crayon whereby the samemay be used up to a very short length 7 and still be efficiently secured in the device.

A furtherfeature resides in a holdingdevice comprising a hollow holding member having means at one end thereof for releasably and adjustably holding a large crayon, andthe remaining end having means for releasably and adjustably holding a relatively small pencil.

A very special feature of the invention resides in a holder of cylindrical form'h'aving crayon,

1 gripping fingers for gripping the large crayon in such a manner as tov engage the fiat faces with which these polygonal'crayons are provided, the

" engagement being effective irrespective of the fact that the crayonis of polygonal cross section V .and the holder and fingers are of cylindrical and convex form, respectively.

device of my inventionin'the form of alumber I scalers marker. p

Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2--2 of Fig. '1,

with the parts shown on an enlarged scale, and

illustrating the crayon in a fixed adjustment.

- Fig.3 is a viewsimilar to Fig. '2, showing the crayon released so that it may be adjusted or removed. A r

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of the holder showing the gripping fingers in elevation.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentaryview illustrating the manner in which the fingers grip .the fiat faces of the crayon. a

Fig. '7 is a sectional View on line 1-| of Fig. 1, with the parts being shown on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 8. is a View in elevation of the pencil gripping sleeve detached from the holding device.

logs and lumber.

The invention has many other features and objects which will be more fully described in conof cylindrical form, as indicated at I.. This holder is formed of spring brass or other resilient metal and has means at one end for holding a relatively crayon 3.

Reference will first bemade tothe novel crayon holding means. a

The crayon shown, is what is termed lumber crayon partly because it is used by sealers and must beof relatively large size in order to effectively perform its function in the use of marking To the best of my knowledge, thislumber crayon is always formed with a polygonal cross section, which, specifically, is hexagonal, having six flat faces 4, and six corner portions 5, extending longitudinally thereof. A-further, characteristic is that lumber crayon comes in a single stock size, as far as I know, and its shape of the crayon which the holder is designed to accommodate.

small lead pencil 2, and the remaining end is provided with means for holding a relatively large Thus, I select a tubing, preferably though not essentially of resilient or spring metal, and which has an internal diameter such as will permit the crayon 3 of being easily telescoped into the holder I, with a very slight clearance necessitated by slight variations of size of the stock crayons.

By reason of this proportion,.I am able to provide crayon gripping fingers in a very accessible positionfor gripping the crayon. vAt thecrayon end of the holder, I split the latter to form a plurality of gripping fingers 6, equal in number to the number of flat faces 4, on the crayon 3. By reference to Fig. 5, it will be seen that the endo'f the holder is sub-divided longitudinally in the form of slots 1, which are wide enough to span the corner portions 5, and whereby the resulting fingers will be sufiiciently narrower than the width ofthe flat faces 4, so as to engage'the latter with the lateral edges of the fingers, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. Thus,'each finger 6, will have two 3 wardly from the bore of the ferrule.

holder I, are convex transversely of their length,

and it is a feature to provide an effective engage-- ment with the crayon without going to the expense of changing these convex fingers into flat fingers. Further, it will be clear that the slots forming the fingers 6, serve to receive the corner portions of the crayon so that the latter will always be inserted with the corner portions 5 in registry with the slots 1, thereby insuring a prop er positioning of the fingers 6 with respect to the flat faces of the crayon. Thus it will now be clear how I avoid the necessity of an inner crayon holding sleeve inside holder I, thereby making the latter at once a holder for the device, and a receiver for the crayon.

The outer ends of fingers 6, are provided with peripherally disposed releasing grooves 9, extending transversely across the fingers and collectively forming an annular channel.

Reference will next be made to the means for causing contraction and permitting expansion of the gripping fingers.

A ferrule I0, is slidably mounted on holder I, and may be provided with a knurled area II, to facilitate gripping the ferrule to shift the same. At its outer end, the ferrule is provided with a contracting portion which may be in the form of a shoulder I2 of annular form and projecting in- It will be noted that the grooves 9, in the fingers, are sufficiently inside the terminal ends thereof to form shoulders I3, which serve to prevent the ferrule from being completely shifted off from the handle I unless an excessive thrust is applied, thus guarding against loss'of the ferrule. When the ferrule is shifted into the releasing position shown in Fig. 3, with the shoulder I2 arrested by shoulders I3, and. registering with grooves 9, the

, fingers 6 will be permitted to expand or spring radially outwardly a slight extent. This permits of longitudinal adjustment of the crayon 3, or insertion of a new crayon. When the ferrule is shifted inwardly to the Fig. 2,.position, the contracting shoulder will ride up out of groove 9, onto the outer faces of fingers 6, thereby contracting the latter into firm engagement with the crayon. Reference will next be made to the means for adjustably holding a relatively small size lead pencil.

The holder or handle I, is suitably provided with a reduced end I4, provided with a bore I5, which may be cylindrical, and which is greatly reduced in diameter with respect to the main bore of the holder, which may be indicated at A. A pencil holding sleeve is shown at I6, which may have a knurled cylindrical end I1, to facilitate manipulation thereof. The bore of sleeve I6, is preferably cylindrical but I advisedly taper the exterior from the enlarged knurled end II, to the, other extreme end I8. To insure a pencil grip ping action, I split the sleeve I6, preferably although not essentially, throughout its length.

As it is never necessary completely to withdrawsaid sleeve from the holder, and to avoid loss of the sleeve, I preferably turn up a portion of end I8, to form a shoulder adapted to engage the shoulder 20, to prevent complete withdrawal of the foregoing description, I will briefly recapitulate the same as follows:

With the device equipped as shown in Fig. l, a sealer, with the use of one hand, can employ the large crayon to mark a log or other article, and then switch the device and use the pencil 2, to record his marking in a record book or sheet. Thus, in one device, the scaler has the means for both marking and entering an entry.

If crayon3, wears down, the ferrule can be shifted to the Fig. 3, position, to permit adjustment, and then back to the Fig. 2, position to fix the adjustment. In this connection it is important to note that the gripping action on crayon 3, is almost wholly near and at the end of the holder, hence, even if the crayon is as short as indicated by dotted line B, in Fig. 2, it can be firmly gripped and used as long as there is sufficient length left to extend from the gripping area to a point beyond the end of the holder. This affords a very material saving in the cost of crayons.

When adjustment of pencil 2, is necessary, the knurled end I! can be gripped with the fingers and twisted outwardly thereby releasing the grip of sleeve I 6 on the pencil and permitting a greater or less projection thereof or insertion of a new pencil, with only a slight outward movement of the sleeve.

It is believed that the device of my invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing description, and while I have herein shown and described one specific form of the invention, I do not wlsh'to be limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim:

1. In a holding device for large size crayons, a holder having a plurality of resilient gripping fingers for peripheral engagement with, the crayon and said fingers having releasing recesses peripherally disposed thereon near the endsof said fingers, and a ferrule movable on said fingers and having a contracting portion adapted to register with said recesses when said ferrule is shifted outwardly toward the ends of said fingers to permit expansion of the latter and said contracting portion engaging said fingers to contract the latter against the crayon when said fer rule is shifted inwardly along said fingers.

2. In a holder for large size crayons of polygonal cross section having a plurality of longitudinally disposed flat faces and corner portions, a cylindrical handle sleeve having an internal diameter slightly in excess of the maximum cross sectional dimension of the crayon and provided with a holding end longitudinally split into a plurality of concave resilient gripping fingers laterally spaced sufiiciently to be permanently separated from each other and the spacing being sufiicient to cause said fingers to laterally span the corner portions of the crayon with edge portions of the fingers extending along the fiat faces of the crayonand the concave portions between said edge portions being in spaced relation from said fiat faces of the crayon, and means for contracting said fingers to engage said longitudinal edges portions thereof against the fiat faces of the crayon with the corner portions of the latter projecting radially between said edge portions.

FRANK G. PRAIN." 

